The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-09-01
BUFFERS BRIBE.
---S
A CONGRESSMAN SELLS OUT OF
THE ANTI PROHIBITIONIST.
The Charge Fairly and Square.
ly Made by "a Republican
Newspaper.
$4,000 the Price OF His Sham

past that large sums OF money were 10 4
be placed at the disposal of the man. :
ayers OF the anti-prohibition cam
paign, now in progress in such man
ner as in their judgement would prove
most beneficial to their cause. Assess
ments have been made upon the
wholesale and retail liquor dealers
throughout the state, and we are credi-
bly, informed that even the employesof
these establishments, of whom there
are thousands, have been called upon
for liberal contributions. 1t is said
that the citizens of Memphis, Nash
vile, Knoxville and Chattanooga have
contributed upwards of thirty thou
sand dollars to this campaign fund.
In addition to all this, thousands OF
dollars have been contributed or prom
Used from outside the state, and there
is no doubt that if it is considered me-
cessary to have campaign fund OF
quarter of million of dollars in order
to defeat the prohibition amendment,
that amount can be easily raised.
And the gentlemen who have the
management of this fund know as
we'll as any set OF men on earth how
to use it. They know That sin OF
avarice is as common as that OF in
temperance, and more so. They will
appeal to the avarice of political lead
ers for their influence during the cam
paign, and to that of the individual
voters on the day of the election. Ev-
licences of this are multiplying every
direction. Thousands of people were
dumbfounded a few days ago when
they read in the National Review a
letter from Hon. R. r. Butler, repre-
sentative in congress from the first dis
trict, in which he comes out pubhckly
against the prohibition amendment.
It was astonishing because he has
been lifelong and outspoken tenn
perance man, and because it had been
publicly stated only a few weeks ago,
: as upon authority from him personal
q ly, that he was in favor OF the amend
ment. Moor disputes his right to
e oppose it, or the right OF any other
gentleman, but the manner in which
s he did it aroused suspicion and elici
/. ted investigation. A little investiga
. ton upon our own part has brought
- out a series OF facts so remarkable, dis
. playing wickedness so appalling IL
n its character, that we feel we would b.
untrue to the people of the state, ant
" to the honorable calling in which W
= are engaged, were we not to max
II them public. And this we will dc
y, with malice towards none, with char
ii ity for ALL" intending to do that onl
ID which we believe to be right befor
God and man. The facts are substar
IL TALLY as follows.
About the first of July, while char
Gerry court was i'll session at Bristo
which Judge Butler was attending, b
:. was visited there by George 5. Xii
III ney, president of the Tennessee Liqut
1g Dealers Association, and Mr.. Charl,
is Nelson, one of the largest and wealtl
at lest liquor dealers in the state, both
= Nashville. The meeting had eviden
" ly been pre-arranged, as Judge Butl
NY resides at Mountain City and n
,xt Bristol. He was in consultation vii
III. them at the Hamilton House, in Brl
=. toll, for several hours. When a frier
on inquired of him who they were, ne
Ut planned that they were Nashville ca
)p- italists, interested in some railroi
lcn charter, and that they were TAXI
legal counsel from him in reference
the said charter. While there we a
informed, and believe, and SO chars
they closed a contract with Butler,
lie, agreeing to oppose the prohlbitl
mr. amendment in consideration of viii
- they were to pay him five thousa
n0 dollars-one thousand cash, one tho
less sand later on, and the addition
Iho three thousand dollars when he C
of ried his district against the amer
No ment.
'ino They returned to Nashville soon
ac- ter. Toward the latter part OF Ju
me the National Review, published
cht Nashville, in giving the then status
tor the prohibition campaign, mention
wa as fact that Judge Butler was OPP
age ed to the prohibition smendme
cor Some of the first district papers
the MED it, end the Bristol News, sta
,sod upon the authority Of the judge h
''0N self, that he was heartily in favor
the amendment. This was tn
weeks after he had sold out, and
had already begun to earn his br
.ond by circulating the address OF
anu George S. Kinney, five hundred COZ
of which were sent to him by Il
low, while attending the circuit court
are unicoi county.
After the appearance of the edit
al in the National Review and the
and NAL in the Bristol News and other
for. pers in the first district, the ger
~. man who had bribed Butler to OPT
wing the amendment and had already !
him portion OF the stipulated pl
ID be became doubtful perhaps and al
aloe that he was not going to face the
~ sic and carry out his part OF the
ltlon tract so they visited him agair
Bristol, this time accompanied
,t,ar VIM. Greene, a Hawkins county
= tiller. The object OF this visit wa
X VI get Butler to make speech. He
pub sick at the time and said that he
the not able to make speech, but az
that he would write letter. AS
as he was able to travel he wen
n to Morristown, where he again met
, can Greene. From there on Friday
emo. 10th day of August he sent telee
;onoa to the managers of the anti-pro
'""'0 ton campaign at Nashville, or on
them, which was in substance as
NTH, lows HAS the New YORK exch
,r,,o,, been sent? If not, send in car
'i"0y Hattie House, Knoxville" The
lcker, York exchange was not sent. the
Jhan- chasers no doubt deciding that
iicial wonld trifie no longer with their
tnl 60 thew sent him q narsOnal q